United States' bridges have a median age of 40 years. Today, many of these structures need rehabilitation. Traffic control is running anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of construction costs. User delays cost thousands of dollars per day in heavy traffic areas. Similar conditions exist in Canada but are often more critical due to our shorter construction season. In 2001, the AASHTO Technology Implementation Group, chose prefabricated bridge elements and systems as one of the innovative technologies that promised the highest payoff. This paper includes a background on precast concrete bridge construction, an overview of precast concrete deck construction, fabrication transportation and erection, sustainability issues and total precast bridge construction. The benefits of precast prestressed concrete for bridge construction include speed, durability, minimum traffic interruption, assured plant quality, minimum maintenance and attractive designs. For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD number E211521.
Abstract